Saturday, January 31, 2009

Jan reads 2009

Baby Shark's Beaumont Blues by Robert FateThis is the second of the Baby Shark books, and while it's light on the pool, it's a fast terse entry in the series. There is the darkness of broken families and some solid action scenes, but it is the feel of Texas circa mid 1950s that really makes this something more than another action/ PI series. I have the next entry in the series waiting to be read..Lines of note:P 41 "They was up to Something with all that hardware, low voltage or not." P 236 "Ask your Husband if calling the devil is the same as seeing him walk atcha"

The Hunter by Richard Stark Parker, a criminal with out emotion, who is cold and calculating in getting just what he feels he is owed. This is of course the first in series that is hard and uncompromising.

SPQR I- The King's Gambit by John Maddox RobertsSet during the Roman Empire this is the first in the series of the SPQR books... pretty much it is your basic mystery, just in a world that we are not used to. I liked the book just fine, but didn't find any reason to read the next one.

Butcher's Moon by Richard StarkThis is the last of the first set of Parker books written by Stark (Donald Westlake), before he took a long break before coming back to Parker. This one is touches on all that has come in the series so far, as Parker and Grofield return to the scene of a previous heist to recover some cash that was left behind. things go wrong, and Parker has to call in the troops to help him out. This was a great read, and I look forward to reading more.Killing Castro by Larwence BlockThis is what Pulp is all about, fast, furious, action packed and page turning fun. The story is about four men sent to Cuba to... well kill Castro. Each has a different reason for their participation in killing Castro.

Savage Night Jim ThompsonThis was a tough read in that I had a hard time following in places, however it's the story of a killer set to take out a witness, and how things fall apart.

Joan Blondell- A Life in Pictures Matthew KennedyA full biography of Mrs. Blondell, who was a actress mostly know for having been in several of the Busby Berkely flicks in the 30sI Am Not A Cop Richard Belzer with Michael Black Did not finish, it was just too something, but I was never drawn into the story or what was going on... so I gave up.

Murder Me for Nickels Peter RabeA solid pulp mob story about the Juke Box racket. It was simple, straight forward, and I enjoyed it.Lines of note:P 43 "It stuck me what a Mercenary Minx she was

33 1/3: Black Sabbath- Master of Reality John Darnielle A review of the album Master of Reality as told by a teenage boy in a metal health care unit, and then 10 years later when he is out and working in the world.

Information Addiction: the Links

I Like IKE

"we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex... Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together."

About Me

Quote City

"The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side."- attributed to Hunter S. Thompson

“I never knew there was a class system in America until I moved to Ann ArborMichigan. This town was populated – dominated might be a better word- by rich, spoiled college students. I can see how Liverpool gave us the Beatles, but I’ll never understand how Ann Arbor gave us Iggy and the Stooges.”-Dee Dee Ramone, Lobotomy: surviving the Ramones. P. 255

You know, every day I get out of bed and drag myself to the next cup of coffee. I take a sip and the caffeine kicks in, I can focus my eyes again, my brain starts to order the day. I'm up, I'm alive. I'm ready to rock. The time is coming when I wake up and decide I'm not getting out of bed. I'm not getting up for coffee or food or sex. If it comes to me, fine; if it won't, fine. No more expectations. The longer I live the less I know. I should know more. I should know that coffee's killing me. You're suspicious of your suspicions? I'm jealous, Kay. I'm so jealous. You still have the heart to have doubts? Me, I'm going to lock up a fourteen-year-old kid for what could be the rest of his natural life. I gotta do this; this is my job. This is the deal, this is the law, this is my day. I have no doubts or suspicions anymore. Heart has nothing to do with it anymore. Its all in the caffeine.